There are many things I love about living on Long Island... But this is NOT one of them! This mans farm is probably 15-20 minute from my house, I've never been there, but I guess it's open to the public. After the "community" found out Minnie would be slaughtered for meat people have been outside protesting the farm. They believe she should be "rescued" sent to a sanctuary. I pray these nuts don't win o sheer principle. Who are they to decide what this man does with his animals?!?
Have we lost touch with reality?? Where do we think burgers come from? Sometimes I feel people care more about animal welfare (which don't get me wrong, IS IMPORTANT) than our fellow humans.
This popped on my facebook feed, so I shared it on mine with this comment
"Hey you know what Cow = beef = food, home raised beef is great..get over it, cute little piggy wiggies, cuddly lambs, oh so gorgeous day old chicks....all food in the making."
There is quite the debate going on, which will have to brew on it's own for a while, as will this if it takes off, because I'm off to a meeting, BUT, this comment was made
"Don't use feed animals for birthday parties. Of course people are going to love them. Here is little Rosie we are going to eat next week. If you want to keep your business don't eat your performers. Keep them in the barn."
Now that got me thinking...WHY, WHY should we hide food animals in the barn, pretend that on the farm Rosie gets to live to fine old age, doing nothing apart from eating grass? It's my belief that the world is going to "Disney" and maybe we need to get some more reality, like this is where your beefburger comes from, but we treat it with respect and dignity until it is size to fit in the freezer.
This world has just gone nuts. When I was a kid, my folks explained that the cows, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, etc were all animals we ate and that their by products were valuable too, for making glue, collagen creams, hides for leather, fur to keep warm, on and on. And old horses went to the Glue Factory and were part of the process too. I don't understand where the "disconnect" came from but sadly, my DH suffers from it too. He can't eat anything we've named. Well, he thinks we can't, we won't actually tell him that he does, all the time.
I keep telling my GF how I would love to have a couple cows to raise for meat when we eventually have our own place. She is outraged be a use she cannot understand how you can care for something everyday and then kill it. I ask, where do you think your meat actually comes from?!? Her answer is, I didn't KNOW that cow. Personally, I'd rather know my cow, know what it ate, what it received, how it died and how it was processed. I'd take pride in knowing I gave my dinner a happy life and a swift end! Posted via Mobile Device
I really do think it's sad that people are so far removed from reality, agriculture and where their food (and non edible products) come from.
I think the root of the issue is teaching agriculture and it's importance. This idea of 'hiding' from the public to protect delicate sensibilities has done nothing but hurt in the end. Perhaps I'm being a little dramatic due to my passion about it but it's almost to the point where it's going to take something drastic like food shortages for people to realize what an impact it has on everyone's lives. Posted via Mobile Device
If I were the owner, I'd have a big outdoor potluck bbg and invite all the neighbors. I don't think many would turn down a free meal. Beef, it's what America eats. Posted via Mobile Device
Farmer was probably just talking to someone locally that they intended to kill the cow at some point in the future; that news then got out and those who wanted to started campaigning against it. So he was caught before the time for slaughter.
I have to say I've a few thoughts on this matter:
1) Some people are disconnected; however they tend to be (more or less) very urban living people and they can sometimes have very little real understanding. This is those shocking moments when they don't know where milk or meat really comes from; tends to be present more in younger generations and by adulthood most have picked it up but a tiny minority make it through still not really comprehending the relationship (although how this is possible is mind boggling).
2) I can see both sides of the argument between killing your own raised animals and not killing your own raised animals.
On the one I see the justification in knowing that you raised the animal with a good life and ended its life well; knowing that it was happy and well treated as much as captivity can allow for.
On the other I can see the lack of desire to kill something that you've raised form youth; or just interacted with every day. Something you've invested in emotionally and thus are unwilling to sacrifice.
I think the former group learn to or simply have no emotional bond with the animals they keep. Or they learn to somehow disassociate the pain of the loss of that bond once the point of slaughter arrives.
Personally I'm in the don't kill what you raise group. I very much eat meat, but I'm not one to be prepared to raise an animal for the kill. I've never shot in the wild either however so long as what I shot wasn't endangered and I'd have the proper training to make a clean kill I doubt I'd have the same concerns there.
In the end I suspect that there might be more to this story than is being spoken of; however the local environment has likely meant that locals have formed an emotional bond with the cow and thus are unwilling to see that bond broken. In my view they should mind their own business, but if they are really that concerned about it they should offer to buy the cow from the owner at full price - campaigning about it is somewhat of an attentionseeking move which makes it sound like there's more too it.
Dad named the cows for us: Dinner, Tbone, Hamburger, etc.. My parents wanted to ensure my sister and I knew where meat came from.
Put me on the list of would rather raise my own beef. Yes I can go out and feed them every day, pet them on the nose (if they let me) then when it comes to butcher time eat them. For me it's a mindset, I know the cow is being raised for meat so I can eat them not matter how friendly I've got with them but don't ask me to eat my horse/dog/cat.
I eat meat but at times struggle with the whole thing. But right now I have another thought that maybe I can explain. I think, although not in them immediate future, we are heading in the direction a lot here are taking about. More local raising of meat. And I think it will be a result of the 15 dollar minimum wage. Price of that fast food buger is going to rise considerably. Most folks when seeing that think I will just make it at home. Not so fast. Grocery stores will be able to raise their prices, suppliers will as well. Getting meat from local sources I think will boom. Kinda back to full circle. Anyway thanks for reading,
It's kind of a touchy subject. I'm of the group of people who get emotionally attached to animals....so wouldn't be able to kill something I raised so I could eat it. But I am also realistic enough to know where meat comes from.
And honestly, from what I've seen, eating locally sourced meat is FAR better than buying from the grocery store. I like knowing what the animal has been fed and how it was raised.
This is why I'm more a fan of wild game. Don't get me wrong...I don't know if I am capable of shooting an animal, but my b/f is. And I won't shy away from eating that deer he's shot...or even helping him clean the meat (to some extent). I do not have an emotional bond with the animal and I know that it has led the most natural life up until that moment. There are still some wild animals I still cannot bring myself to eat; our minds work in mysterious ways. Not sure why I think of a moose differently than a deer. But nope...won't touch moose meat.
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